Cycle



A; D. MEISELBACH.

CYCLE. APPLICATION mep MAW/31,1921.

Patentd Mar. 14, 19.22

UhllTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUeUs'r n. MEISELBACH, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To MEAD CYCLE COMPANY, or emesso, ILLINOIS, .e conroiafi'rron or ILLINOIS.

CYCLE.

Application filed May 31,

tc/tom may concer/i.: L i' l ificons'r l). Minsni.- on. a citizen of the 'l 'ted States, residing Chi in the county o' Cook `r`nd State or lllinois, have invented a .new ai `l useful linproveinent in Cycles, oli which the following is a specification.

lily invention relates incre particularly, to and niore especially to the head 'l iereo'r' at which the liront steering .vheel ot the bicycle is supported.

The invention has niore to do with the securing of the handiebar stein to the 'forli stein iourualed in the head and Vin thcploivei end ol wl ich the Yfront wheel is journaled.

" g to pi vailing practice two gens oii securr ineans have been eini involving a clanip nieinber rounds the upper end ot the iork ratte-r being toi-ined oi? steel tubing, ig to clampA the stein about the slotted to perni it 'oilr stein about the handle-bar stein; and the lother involving the slotting ot the lower end oi the haiidle bar stein7 an( the einploynient therewith, of .vcdoing Ineans operating to expand the lower end ot the handle-har stein into lrictional engagement with the inside of the 'torlr stern into which it extends, both ot these methods presenting objections. As structures involving the external clamping ring` have hitherto been provided, it has been necessary to very materially reduce the thickness ol? the nietal torn'iing tie upper end oi the fork stein. to provide the smooth unthreaded exterior surface thereoi Vtor receiving the clainp, such surface being pi'ovided by renioving` the threads fornied on the upper extremity of the forl. The result was the provision ot a At'orl; steni the upper end oi which did not present sutlicnient thickness oi? nietal to insure against 'tracturiiig oit the lori; stein adjacent the portion s ri'ounded by the claiiip, as vlor exainple when subiected to iin. .i `resees iinposed upon it when the bi ycle tell. over on its side, its handle bar striking'the paveinent. v The ire tei-nal expander type oi construction above ieiierredto also presents objections in that especiallj,7 with Ythe present day type ol: steel tubing involving welded longitudinal joints, the 'lorl 'stein4 would oftentimes become t VUcured at the joint, in the tightening up oit-the expanding ineans and thereby inipair Specification of Letters Patent.

192i. serial No. 173,811.

the structure and Lurthern'iore it is difficult to obtain the desired degree or clamping of the handle-bar stein to the fork stern, and this is particularly true in the case of bicycles as now coninionly inade and involving handle bars which have relatively widespread siniulating motorcycle constructions and presenting a high degree of leverage on the steering wheel.

My priinary object generally stated is to provide a novel, simple and economical construction o the external clamping type which shall not present the objections of this type. of construction as hitherto provided.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation oil the upper portion oli the .head of a bicycle, and the lower portion ol a handle-bar stein assenibled with the iorx stein in the head, in accordance with niy invention the inajor portion of the structure beinfT shown in section; Figure 2 is section taken at the line 2, 2 on Fig. l and viewed in the direction of the arrows; Figure 3 is a perspective view of, a clamping bushing employed. Figure d a view in elevation, partly sectional, olE a ioditication ot the structure shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 5, a section taken at the line 5- 5 on Fig. l and f'iewed in the direction ot' the arrows.

Referring to the structure shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, represents the substantially vertically disposed tubular head portion of a bicycle traine in accordance with coinnion practice, its upper end containing a ball-race in which hall-bearings 7 arc located. The end of the tubular forl stein is represented at 8, this stein extending upwardly through the tube 5 and having its` upper outer surfaf'e screw threaded as represented at 9. Screwed upon the threads 9 is a cone l0 between which and the race 6, the balls 7 are confined, and superposed on the cone l0 is a lock-washer ll. which surrounds the upper end of the torlr stein 8 and extends at a lug l2 thereon into a groove l?) located in the outer surface of thl stem S and extending lengthwise thereot'.

The handle-bar stein is represented at 14.-, tiis stein which is shown as hollow, extending at its lower end into the upper end of he forli stein 8 which' latter is longitudinally slotted as indicated at 15, the stem il being secured in the fork stem S by the clamping means shown and of which the sur following is a description. The clamping ,mechanism referred to comprises a bushing 16 internally threaded as represented at l? and adapted to screw upon the upper threaded end 9 of the fork stem 8 prefer-V ably to a position at which it bears downon the washer 11. The outer circumferential surface of the bushing 16 is unthreaded as represented, and the bushing is formed at its lower end with a head 18presenting the shoulder surface 19, the portion of thebushing above the head 18 being slotted lengthwise thereof as represented at 20, these slots being shown as four in number, though the number thereof may be varied as desired. Surrounding the upper end of the bushing 16 is a clamping sleeve represented at 21, this sleeve being of the split type as shown and formed with a pinch-bolt 22 engaging the outwardly turned ends 23 of thesleeve and operating to contract the sleeve about the upper slitted end of the bushing 16, the upper edge of the sleeve 21 being preferably inwardly turned as represented at 24 to extend over the top of the bushing and the fork stem as represented in Fig. 1.

It twill be understood from the foregoing that uponY tightening the bolt 22 in the sleeve 21, the bushing 1'6 will be contracted -about the upper end of the Vfork stem. 8 with the result of contracting the latter into rigid clamping engagement with the lower end of the handle-bar stem thereby securely clamping the latter andthe fork Vstem together to resist relative turning thereof. It will be noted that by the arrangement shown, the cutting away of the upper threads of the Y portion 9, is avoided, and thereby the full strength of the upper end of the tube is retained and the danger of the fork stem breaking at this part thereof, is reduced to the minimum. l rIhe bushing 16 in the particular construction shown also serves as a lock-nut for the cone-10 of the bearing. The construction illustrated in Fig. 1 is the same as that of the preceding figures except that the outer upper surface of the bushing 1 6 instead of being unthreaded, is provided with a thread 25 which tapers upwardly, and instead of providinga clamping sleeve of the split type as shown in the preceding figures, a nut 26 in the form of a sleeve and having a tapering thread 27 to engagewith the tapering thread 25 is provided, the sleeve 26 in being screwed down upon the bushing 16 operating, by reason` of the tapered threads referred to, to contractthe bushing about the upper end of the fork stem 8 and in turn contract the latter about the handle-bar stem 14 and thus bind these parts firmly together.

It will be understood that if desired the handle-bar stem may be slit at its lower end and provided with an internal expander device, such as that' commonly used, to supplement the clamping means described.

lllhile I have illustrated and described certain forms in which my invention may be embodied, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the lsame may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of my invention.

That I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In cycle construction the combination of a front-fork member externally threaded atrthe upper hollow end of its stem and slit to adapt it to be contracted, a handle-bar stem located inthe upper endrof said fork stem, a slitted bushing screwed upon the upper end of said fork stem, a split-clamping sleeve surrounding said bushing, and means engaging said sleeve for contracting the lat-y ter about said fork stem and said fork stem about said handle-bar stem.

2.' In cycle construction the combination of a front-fork member externally threaded at the upper hollow end of its stem and slit to adapt it to be contracted, a handle-bar Y stem located in the upper end of said fork stem, a slitted bushing screwed upon the upper end of said fork stem, a portion of the outer surface of said bushing being unthreaded, a split clamping sleeve surrounding said unthreaded portion of said bushing and means for contracting the latter about said fork stem and said fork stem about V,said handle-bar stem.

3. In cycle construction the combination of a front-fork member externally threaded at the upper hollow end of its stem and slit `to adapt it to be contracted, a handle-bar stem located in the upper end of said fork stem, a slitted bushing screwed upon the upper end of said fork stem, a portion of the outer surface of said bushing being unthreaded, anda split clamping sleeve provided with a pinch-bolt surrounding said unthreaded portion of said bushing and operating to contract the latter about said fork stem and said fork stem about said handle bar stem.

4. In cycle construction the combination of a front-fork member externally threaded Y at the upper hollow endof its stem and slit to adapt it to be contracted, a handle-bar stem located in the upper end of said fork stem, a tubular member surrounding. said fork stem, Y bearings -for journalling said fork stem in said tubular member', the upper one of said bearings being threaded on said fork-stem, a slitted bushing Vscrewed upon the upper end of said forlr stem and operating as aloclr-nut for said bearing, 'and means engaging said upper bushing for contracting the latter about said fork stema-nd AUGUST MEISELBACH.

said fork steml aboutl said handle-bar stem. Y 

